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RadioDAZZ - Favoritize and Rhapsodize.
EARTH, WIND AND FIRE
These are my two of my favorite songs from Earth, Wind and Fire, one of the most energetic and rich-sounding groups of the Disco era.
In a class by themselves, they used full, live, on-stage instrumentation and created a fusion of Disco and Soul that made them stand up and stand out.
I was starting to get serious about pumping iron in the gym (so that my shirts wouldn't look so empty), and still had some aspirations of a career as a musician...but I was starting to suffer from a worrisome dose of early-onset Pragmatism. I actually worked as an accountant for a short time after graduating with my MBA. Fortunately for survival of the gossamer thread of my sanity and for the other struggling, young partner-bound junior accountants and auditors of the Manhattan-based firm, one of the partners fired me for insubordination [he caught me doing my impression of his voice, which was indeed something special]. But, back to Earth, Wind and Fire ...
The first song, "September," is straight-ahead funk, with a backbone of phenomenal, repetitive, hypnotic harmony -- all of it in high register. It was a legendary hit, and lives on (even at the end of that Ben Stiller-infested movie "Night at the Museum," or whatever it was called, when all the exhibits came to life and were dancing together in a boogie wonderland). It shouted pure joy, with an undertone of wistful nostalgia.
The second song, "Love's Holiday," was a fabulous slow-dance ballad, with distinctive, polytonal chord structures that created a combination of mystery and majesty. It was musically quite complex, but so graceful (like a ballet dancer) that you would never feel the work that went into its composition and arrangement. It is slightly physical, with some very warm references, but it stays just below the surface and never gets crude, or undignifies the worshipful love, both in its physical and emotional forms, that inspired its creation.
Click on either the links or the video players to enjoy both of these wonderful songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfLEc09tTjI&feature=related [September]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee_WbcA5iBE&feature=related [Love's Holiday]
Radio DAZZ: Produced by Douglas Castle
Showing posts with label 70's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 70's. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Chi-Lites - Oh Girl - Have You Seen Her?
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These are two of my martial arts teacher's favorite songs. This "Oh Girl" is the original, soulful version with the crying harmonica and rich harmonies. Simply Red did a nice cover some years later, but this one is the true heart-grabber. Soke Joe would probably agree.
"Have You Seen Her ?," although not as well-known, is an understated classic bit of soul, with one of those terrific spoken stories at the beginning and the end - I believe Soke knows it word for word...but he's also quite capable of improvising some hysterical lyrics as well, not all of which are suitable for public consumption. Soke is listed in the US Martial Arts Hall Of Fame -- I'm merely a black belt -- Joseph is a Red Belt, and a master in four different styles of Asian fighting arts, as well as in exotic weaponry.
I dedicate these songs to Soke Joseph Droual of New York Martial Arts, of Huntington, New York, and to my one true dojo, the New York Martial Arts Hombu. Thank you, Joe. For training me to defend myself and my loved ones, for building my self-esteem, and for being a wonderful friend.
Just click on each of the links (or on the video players) below for a wonderful listening experience. These songs have real emotion embedded into them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjN8huzS2Nc&feature=related [Oh Girl]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVYxKRXDT2I&NR=1 [Have You Seen Her?]
Radio DAZZ: Produced by Douglas Castle
These are two of my martial arts teacher's favorite songs. This "Oh Girl" is the original, soulful version with the crying harmonica and rich harmonies. Simply Red did a nice cover some years later, but this one is the true heart-grabber. Soke Joe would probably agree.
"Have You Seen Her ?," although not as well-known, is an understated classic bit of soul, with one of those terrific spoken stories at the beginning and the end - I believe Soke knows it word for word...but he's also quite capable of improvising some hysterical lyrics as well, not all of which are suitable for public consumption. Soke is listed in the US Martial Arts Hall Of Fame -- I'm merely a black belt -- Joseph is a Red Belt, and a master in four different styles of Asian fighting arts, as well as in exotic weaponry.
I dedicate these songs to Soke Joseph Droual of New York Martial Arts, of Huntington, New York, and to my one true dojo, the New York Martial Arts Hombu. Thank you, Joe. For training me to defend myself and my loved ones, for building my self-esteem, and for being a wonderful friend.
Just click on each of the links (or on the video players) below for a wonderful listening experience. These songs have real emotion embedded into them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjN8huzS2Nc&feature=related [Oh Girl]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVYxKRXDT2I&NR=1 [Have You Seen Her?]
Radio DAZZ: Produced by Douglas Castle
Saturday, May 1, 2010
WAR - Slippin' Into Darkness (with a Ray, Goodman and Brown Bonus)
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This is the full-length album version of War's funkiest song. Amazing instrumentation -- go-to-church organ, drums, tambourine, bass, soulful harmonica riffs (sometimes doubled with sax for an amazingly distinctive sound), trebled-out, single-note guitar. Toward the end (if you're a musician, friend), notice the minor sixth chord which complements the vocals on the way out.
"Slippin' Into Darkness." Most crushingly heartfelt lyrical line - and it still gives me goosebumps -'Take my mind/beyond the trees'. I shivered as I wrote that...
This LA 70's band had a collection of hits with Cisco Kid, Low Rider, All Day Music, The World is a Ghetto, Why Can't we be Friends? and others. They created and owned a powerful and unique sound based upon 1) a very unusual instrumentation; 2) smart-aleky lyrics with instrumental musical riffs playing a conversational counterpoint, and; 3) very straight-ahead drumbeats. Simple singing in informal unison, occasionally breaking out into harmonies (the technique reminds me a bit of Ray, Goodman and Brown's a capella beginning when they performed "She Must Be a Special Lady." - they did a wonderful job of breaking from informal unison out into sweet, rich harmony. [By the way, I have a link to that song after "Slippin'...."]
Click on either the hyperlink or the video player to enjoy some War. I have only listened to the rest of the lyrics to the song. You may find, as I have, that there is an incredibly frightening story there. Relax. Let the music take your mind (with apologies to Smokey Robinson...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGqsOX4g99k&feature=related
And, as promised, the Ray, Goodman and Brown selection -- "She Must Be a Special Lady."
NOTE: Listen to the beginning, as they break from finger-poppin' unison into rich harmony. Enjoy the song. At the end, they fall back into their signature a capella, and give bring the song right back around to the beginning. It's a great effect.
Click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcS0alN5bHo&feature=related
Radio DAZZ: Produced by Douglas Castle
This is the full-length album version of War's funkiest song. Amazing instrumentation -- go-to-church organ, drums, tambourine, bass, soulful harmonica riffs (sometimes doubled with sax for an amazingly distinctive sound), trebled-out, single-note guitar. Toward the end (if you're a musician, friend), notice the minor sixth chord which complements the vocals on the way out.
"Slippin' Into Darkness." Most crushingly heartfelt lyrical line - and it still gives me goosebumps -'Take my mind/beyond the trees'. I shivered as I wrote that...
This LA 70's band had a collection of hits with Cisco Kid, Low Rider, All Day Music, The World is a Ghetto, Why Can't we be Friends? and others. They created and owned a powerful and unique sound based upon 1) a very unusual instrumentation; 2) smart-aleky lyrics with instrumental musical riffs playing a conversational counterpoint, and; 3) very straight-ahead drumbeats. Simple singing in informal unison, occasionally breaking out into harmonies (the technique reminds me a bit of Ray, Goodman and Brown's a capella beginning when they performed "She Must Be a Special Lady." - they did a wonderful job of breaking from informal unison out into sweet, rich harmony. [By the way, I have a link to that song after "Slippin'...."]
Click on either the hyperlink or the video player to enjoy some War. I have only listened to the rest of the lyrics to the song. You may find, as I have, that there is an incredibly frightening story there. Relax. Let the music take your mind (with apologies to Smokey Robinson...)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGqsOX4g99k&feature=related
And, as promised, the Ray, Goodman and Brown selection -- "She Must Be a Special Lady."
NOTE: Listen to the beginning, as they break from finger-poppin' unison into rich harmony. Enjoy the song. At the end, they fall back into their signature a capella, and give bring the song right back around to the beginning. It's a great effect.
Click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcS0alN5bHo&feature=related
Radio DAZZ: Produced by Douglas Castle
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